The Datsun 240Z Is a Favorite Sports Car of the 1970s. Here’s Why.

While younger folks would argue that this story about the original Z-Car belongs under “N” for “Nissan,” those who remember the original 240Z and its arrival stateside will emphatically call it a Datsun. After all, that was the name under which the sleek two-seater was marketed in America, and with no small fanfare. The model really upped the game when it hit the scene in 1969, forever changing the U.S. market’s perception of the Japanese auto industry, which, until that time, had been equated with lackluster econoboxes and tiny, utilitarian pickups.

Like Japan’s ultra-exclusive and expensive Toyota 2000GT and Mazda Cosmo, the Nissan Fairlady Z (as it was officially sold in Japan) has a beautiful sports-car shape. It also offers more-than-competitive performance against British and European sports cars of the day, most of which were old designs (MG, Triumph, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Opel, and others) powered by four-cylinder engines, and often priced above the Z’s modest $3,600 sticker in period.

With its SOHC, 2.4-liter inline-six engine (think junior Jaguar), a four-speed manual transmission, and four-wheel independent suspension, the Z shook up the status quo in the same way that Ford’s colossally successful Mustang did a half-decade prior. Yoshihiko Matsuo’s alluring design soldiered on through 260Z and 280Z iterations until 1978. During that time, the car suffered the aesthetic indignity of a 2+2 variant, and, for U.S. cars, battering-ram bumpers more suited to a SWAT vehicle than Nissan’s original concept—thanks Department of Transportation (DOT). A rare three-speed automatic transmission was also offered from 1971 onward. The original 240Z, however, remains an early-1970s automotive icon and the Z-car to own.

Produced from 1969 through 1973, the 240Z encapsulates an era when 150 hp and a 2,300-pound car were a recipe for driving fun. The vehicle’s view over the long hood and its comfortable interior make one imagine that driving something from the period that’s far more powerful and costly is not likely to deliver a whole lot more satisfaction in the long run.

Today, the 240Z’s ability to go from zero to 60 mph in less than 8.0 seconds affords plenty of opportunity to savor the smooth torque and responsive handling. Once ensnared in the quest for a 240Z, buyers will learn that examples made up through 1971 are regarded as the most desirable, as EPA and DOT regulations began to rear their ugly head by 1972.

The 240Z has gained well-deserved attention over the past decade or two, and many have benefitted from extensive restoration in the interim. The most vulnerable aspect of the Z is its body, where rust can spell the difference between “go” and “no go” for a buyer looking to come out ahead.

With almost 170,000 examples made through 1973, there are plenty of U.S. and rest-of-the-world Z-cars to choose from. The allure of Japanese-market cars, especially the long-nose 240ZG and other rare variants, presents the opportunity for a collector to get as deep into the weeds as desired. One of only a handful made, a 1970 Fairlady Z432R, with four-valves per cylinder, triple carbs, and dual cams (hence the “432” nomenclature) recently sold for the equivalent of $805,000.

On the other hand, about $25,000 will bag a 1970 Datsun 240Z in good condition, and twice that should get quite a charmer. Plan to nudge $80,000, or a little more, for a concours queen. The reality is that cars like the 240Z are meant to be driven with the unallayed joy they brought to owners back in a simpler age—a time when 35-cent-per-gallon gasoline, an AM radio, and an open road promised all the freedom in the world.

Click here for more photos of this 1972 Datsun 240Z sports car.